What is mental health, and why is it so important to talk about it?
As per the World Health Organization, 800, 000 people die due to suicide every year. Believe it or not, India ranks second in the world with the increasing suicide rates every year.
It is said that prevention is better than cure, but how to cure something, which we are not even aware of? For any suicide prevention, we need to be aware, to educate ourselves and take care of our surroundings and people around us. We need to be present and be there for them. By simply being there—we can save a tragedy, we can save a life. It all happens in front of us. We watch their mental health deteriorate, but we just judge them, assume things on our own, and never reach out.
In lieu of creating mental health awareness from my end, I started a series named ‘Humanity ki chain’ on my YouTube channel. I had planned for at least 10 episodes, and I was very much skeptical about whether people will join me in this initiative or not. In every episode, I invite guests to share their views on mental health and share stories which could inspire others.
To my surprise, I got a very positive response, and many people joined my initiative. This series is an attempt to spread some mental health awareness by sharing real and inspirational stories of the ‘Pain Warriors’. I have recently published my eighth episode, and I have learned a great deal from the guests I interacted with.
The aim of this initiative is:
• To spread mental health awareness
• Break the stigma surrounding it
• Enable people to talk about it
• To reach out to the maximum number of people
As Mahatma Gandhiji rightly said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”, I thought of being the change and took up this small initiative in my hands. Mental health is as important as physical health. We need to take care of our minds just like we take care of our hearts. Take care, be aware and be present.